Communities in West Virginia offer residents a welcoming atmosphere, affordable cost of living, and a strong sense of connection to nature and neighbors alike. From charming small towns to vibrant cities like Charleston and Morgantown, West Virginia communities provide friendly neighborhoods, excellent schools, and access to outdoor recreation right at your doorstep. Residents enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by the state’s beautiful mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as rich local culture, historic sites, and community events that bring people together.
With safe streets, local businesses, and a true spirit of Appalachian hospitality, living in West Virginia communities means enjoying a high quality of life and a supportive, tight-knit environment where everyone feels at home. Be sure to visit our Communities Travel Guide for information about communities in West Virginia.
GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Scientists are attaching tiny cellular transmitters to endangered bats in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, hoping to answer a difficult question: Where do the animals go after they disappear into the night? Graduate students from Virginia Tech and biologists with the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources are working … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The first fall colors of 2026 are beginning to appear in West Virginia’s mountains, with the earliest changes being witnessed in some of the state’s highest-elevation destinations. The W.Va. Department of Tourism reports that early color is emerging in Tucker and Pocahontas counties, where cooler mountain conditions typically give visitors some of … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia University is preparing engineering students for careers in the nuclear industry as state and federal officials explore a potentially much larger role for West Virginia in the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle, including power generation and manufacturing. Earlier state documents also proposed nuclear-fuel recycling and interim storage of used nuclear fuel, … Read more
GLENVILLE, W.Va. — A small public university in rural West Virginia is expanding the reach of its business education beyond the Appalachian community it has served for more than 150 years, establishing a College of Business after adding online undergraduate and graduate programs. Glenville State University formally marked the college’s establishment Wednesday, elevating its business … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Fall officially arrived in West Virginia Tuesday night, but depending on where you live and how you define the season, autumn may have started weeks ago or may still seem a long way off. The autumnal equinox occurred at 8:05 p.m. EDT Tuesday, marking the astronomical beginning of fall in the Northern … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia is short nearly 1,200 certified teachers, according to West Virginia University, and a new $1.6 million initiative will try to fill some of those gaps by training teachers closer to home and making it easier for people already working in schools to become certified. The three-year effort takes an unusual … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Trying to predict the brilliance of West Virginia’s fall foliage weeks in advance may be harder than it looks, according to a forest scientist who says even seemingly unfavorable summers can produce spectacular autumn color. Drought, heat, rainfall, and the condition of leaves entering autumn all matter. So do sunny days, cool … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After years of trying to convince travelers to discover West Virginia, the state’s new tourism secretary says the next challenge is giving them reasons to return. Kayla Kessinger, the incoming secretary of the W.Va. Department of Tourism, used Monday’s appearance at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism to outline priorities focused on repeat … Read more
HOLDEN, W.Va. — More than 2,000 people crowded onto a mountainside in southern West Virginia on Sept. 23, 1938, to watch lumbermen pull a nine-foot saw through one of the largest white oaks ever documented in America. The Mingo Oak, as it was known, was already dead. What followed was not merely a logging operation … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — A new scholarship program at West Virginia University Institute of Technology will cover remaining tuition, housing, and meal costs for high-achieving students from 13 southern West Virginia counties, potentially making a four-year education possible for students who might otherwise rule it out because of cost. Beginning in fall 2027, the Golden Scholars program will accept … Read more
